Ridiculously Easy Lemon Blueberry Shortbread Bites
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
15 mins
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Total Time
35 mins
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Servings
24
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Calories
143 kcal
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Course
Dessert, Baked Goods
Ridiculously Easy Lemon Blueberry Shortbread Bites
Description
This recipe uses very soft butter, sugars, lemon zest, vanilla, and salt creamed together before folding in a mixture of all-purpose flour and cornstarch to create a delicate, crumbly shortbread dough. Dried blueberries are softened by briefly microwaving in apple juice or a substitute to rehydrate them, then gently incorporated to maintain texture and flavor without excess moisture. The dough is portioned into mini muffin pans and baked until just set, then sprinkled with additional sugar.
The lemon zest adds freshness and brightness that contrasts with the sweet-tart blueberries. The use of powdered sugar alongside white sugar contributes to the cookies’ tender crumb and melt-in-mouth texture. The small, bite-sized portions make them convenient for serving as snacks or alongside tea or coffee.
This recipe is suitable for making with standard kitchen equipment and provides metric measurement conversions for convenience. Goal is tender but not greasy shortbread with vibrant lemon and blueberry flavors without added moisture or sogginess.
Adjustments include ensuring blueberries are well drained before folding in to prevent dough wetness, and thorough creaming of butter and sugars for smooth dough consistency. Use non-stick spray in mini muffin pans for easy release.
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup dried blueberries
- 1 tablespoon apple juice orange juice or water
- 1 cup butter very soft
- ½ cup white sugar plus additional for sprinkling
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- lemon finely grated zest from 1 medium-size
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup corn starch
Instructions
For the prep:
- Combine dried blueberries and apple juice or water in a microwave-safe cup or bowl. Stir to coat. Cover the bowl or cup with a damp paper towel and microwave on high or 45 seconds. Stir again and set aside to cool while you make the dough.
- Preheat oven to 350˚F (177˚C). Spray two 12-cup mini muffin pans (or 1 24-cup mini muffin pan) with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
For the cookies:
- Combine butter, sugars, lemon zest, vanilla and salt in a medium-size bowl and stir with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon well until smooth and creamy.
- Add the flour and cornstach and stir from the bottom up until completely incorporated. The dough will be a little crumbly but make sure there is no dry flour at the bottom of the bowl.
- Drain off any excess liquid from the plumped blueberries then turn them out onto several thicknesses of paper toweling. Pat well to remove any extra moisture.
- Add the blueberries to the dough and stir gently to evenly incorporate.
- Using a small cookie scoop or tablespoon scoop up the dough into 24 portions. Each one should be approximately 1 tablespoon or right around 30g. Place the scoops of dough in the cups of the prepared pan and flatten with your hand. The dough will pretty much fill the cups. Sprinkle lightly with sugar and bake until the tops are gold brown, about 12-15 minutes.
- At this point, you can leave the shortbread bites just as they are or flatten the tops with the bottom of a small glass or metal measuring cup and sprinkle with a bit more sugar. Allow the cookies to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then use a thin-bladed, small sharp knife along one edge to gently remove the cookies to a cooling rack.
- Allow to cool completely than store in an airtight container. These cookies also freeze well!
Notes
- Rehydrate dried blueberries briefly before adding to maintain texture and flavor.
- Use very soft butter and cream thoroughly with sugars for the right dough consistency.
- Drain blueberries well to avoid extra moisture in dough which can affect texture.
- Spray mini muffin pans with non-stick spray to easily remove baked bites.
- Includes optional metric conversion button for precise measurement adjustments.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 24Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 143 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 143kcal | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 17g | 6% |
| Protein | 1g | 2% |
| Fat | 8g | 12% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.3g | 2% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Trans Fat | 0.3g | 15% |
| Cholesterol | 20mg | 7% |
| Sodium | 87mg | 4% |
| Potassium | 46mg | 1% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 8g | 16% |
| Vitamin A | 236IU | 5% |
| Vitamin C | 0.01mg | 0% |
| Calcium | 6mg | 1% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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